Bus

Parsons Brinckerhoff wins Detroit contract

The Southeastern Council of Governments awarded a contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff to perform an alternatives analysis (AA) for the Woodward Avenue rapid transit project.

The AA will review rapid transit options for a 30-mile corridor along Woodward Avenue from Detroit to

Pontiac. The study area includes the cities of Detroit, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Pontiac.

As the prime consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff will be responsible for conducting an AA process leading to the selection of a locally preferred alternative, along with preparation of a New Starts/Small Starts report and the draft environmental review document.

The process will take a comprehensive look at the regional mobility needs in southeast Michigan and guide the alternatives discussion through the environmental review process.

The Woodward Corridor is the first of four corridors that were mentioned in the governor’s recent proposal for a new regional authority and bus rapid transit system for a 113-mile regional transit network. The project will be completed in early 2014.

The CTfastrak transit system provides direct service to and from Waterbury, Cheshire, Southington, Bristol, Plainville, New Britain, Newington, West Hartford, Hartford, East Hartford and Manchester with routes that take advantage of the bus-only CTfastrak roadway.

ABQ RIDE is looking to model its plan after the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s HealthLine, which is sponsored through a hospital partnership. Construction on the so-called ART system could begin in May 2016 with an in-service date of September 2017.